Emporia State is site of regional science fair on Saturday

Nearly 170 students — most of them in middle school — will compete in the first-ever Emporia Area Regional Science and Engineering Fair on the ESU campus Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012.

Students are divided into two divisions — Grades 5 through 8 and Grades 9 through 12 — to compete in 10 categories — botany, earth-space science, physics and natural science, zoology, environmental science, engineering and inventions, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, biochemistry-medicine and health and social science-behavioral.

Students had to pre-register their projects for acceptance in the fair. The Emporia fair is a qualifier for the state science fair. The state fair, in turn, feeds to the world-renowned Intel Science and Engineering Fair.

Anyone with a science or engineering background is welcome to volunteer to help judge. This could include physicians, nurses, engineers, electricians, etc.

The event in Cram Science Hall on Saturday runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Judging will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. The fair opens to the public at 2 p.m., and the awards ceremony is set to begin by 5 p.m.

Emporia State University is a dynamic and progressive student-centered learning community that fosters student success through engagement in academic excellence, community and global involvement, and the pursuit of personal and professional fulfillment.